Dixon in line to start

Under-17 European Championship Qualifiers: Having underlined his worth to the team with Wednesday evening's injury-time equaliser against Israel, Tottenham's Terry Dixon is set to start Ireland's final game of this week's under-17 European Championship qualifiers at Tolka Park this evening (7.0).

Along with Donal McDermott the striker is, says manager Seán McCaffrey, one of two potential match winners available again for the game in which the Irish must avoid a defeat by Serbia and Montenegro and do enough to keep their noses in front of Israel at the top of the table if they are to earn a trip to Luxembourg in May. They currently lead their rivals, who play Romania in Bray, on the basis their goal difference is better by three.

"They're special players and they'll both start," says McCaffrey.

The downside for the Irish is that their draw also kept this evening's opponents in the competition with Serbia and Montenegro needing to win in order to have any chance of pipping the Israelis for top spot and the one available place at the finals.

"Watching Israel's goal going in was like getting a kick in the stomach from a horse," says McCaffrey, "but we've still got a great chance to go through - if we beat the Serbs at all we'll go through as long as Israel don't absolutely whip Romania.

"Having the lads back will be a big boost," he added in reference to McDermott and Dixon, with the Manchester City winger missing Wednesday's game due to suspension and the striker making his comeback, after being laid up with a knee injury, when he came on as a second-half substitute.

Serbia and Montenegro are likely to prove stiff opponents with most of those who saw their game against Israel on Monday believing they were unlucky to lose but McCaffrey is, as he has been all week, confident that if his players can find their best form then they should prove unstoppable on the night.

"They're a decent side and they have one lad (Zarija Pelicic) who Chelsea have already paid more than £1 million for. We could do with using the ball a bit better than we have so far but the lads know what's needed of them now and I still feel that they are good enough to win the game and go through."